


Just Add Water

by MoonlitePage



Category: Captain America (Movies), H2O: Just Add Water
Genre: AU, Avengers - Freeform, Captain America - Freeform, H2O: Just Add Water - Freeform, H2O: Just Add Water AU, H2o, M/M, Stucky - Freeform, Superpowers, just add water, mer, mermaid, merman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:42:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25619818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlitePage/pseuds/MoonlitePage
Summary: Bucky Barnes had lived a fairly normal life up until the day he followed some of this friends into a cave system and fell into a pool. Like them, he gained power over water but the slightest touch would turn him into a merman. Even so, things didn't seem that bad and Bucky's love life was even finally moving in the right direction. And then the ocean starts attacking them.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 36
Kudos: 46





	1. Curing Cabin Fever

**Author's Note:**

> This is an H2O: Just Add Water AU for the Avengers. If you haven't watched the show this WILL have spoilers, especially for season 3, but you don't have to have seen the show to understand what's happening (I hope). I hope you enjoy.

Bucky Barnes was well aware that going to a pool party was a bad idea. But he’d spent two months, two absolutely wild and wonderful months, with practically only Natasha, Pepper, and Maria for company. And as a confirmed extrovert and frequent partier he was going slightly stir crazy. This pool party was his best option for being around a lot of people again at the moment in the social atmosphere he was so desperately craving.

 _"Besides…"_ He started telling himself as he got out of the Lyft. _"It's been two months of avoiding water. I should be able to handle this."_ He fixed his leather jacket, put on his signature smirk, and let his long legs eat up the ground as he strode confidently up to the door. For just the briefest moment he thought about how fast, how powerful, he felt in the water and missed it. Then he shoved down those feelings: if he wanted to, he could swim home easily enough and sate that urge. Tonight was about being around people.

The front door was unlocked as expected and inside was much less busy than the sound from outside had made it seem like it should be. Attendees were mostly in the backyard then, but he swung by the kitchen first to see if the host was there. She was, along with a couple of other girls who all squealed excitedly when he walked in. It was nice.

"Bucky!" The host ran up and, as he expected, jumped in his arms. Bucky caught her easily and laughed as he swung her around a little. 

"Hey, doll. Miss me?" He teased warmly. Dottie, the cute redhead whose family owned this house, was adorable as usual and Bucky was undoubtedly sweet on her. But no matter how much they playfully flirted, one date had been enough for both of them to know they were looking for other people. She was still a friend, though. A good one he’d missed.

“Of course, Buck.” Dottie wiggled and Bucky set her down, only to get smacked in the chest. It didn’t hurt but he put a hand on his chest in mock offense. “It’s been two months and I haven’t seen you outside of school! What happened?” Dottie demanded.

Bucky lost the attitude and shrugged as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, giving himself a moment to consider how to answer. “Just… had some personal stuff to deal with.” He finally answered vaguely. Natasha, like the spy Bucky is pretty sure she is, had given him and the others lessons in lying after everything had gone down and one of the more important rules was; don’t lie if you don’t have to. Vague answers that aren’t lies are just as good in most cases and you’re less likely to forget it. 

Dottie studied his face seriously before she stepped back. “Well, I hope you’re doing better.” She offered seriously and he nodded, putting on a smile that was a little more forced than before but no less sincere. 

“Course.” He assured lightly, and honestly, and she seemed to accept his answer as she put on a smile of her own. 

“Well, for today just relax and enjoy yourself. Like always, there’s some food in here but most of it, and most of the guests, are outside.” Dottie informed him and Bucky nodded. She stepped back over to the fridge only to pause. “Oh, and feel free to strip out of those clothes and jump in the pool anytime. Nobody’s gotten in yet.” She added playfully. 

Bucky’s chuckle was a little more forced than it should have been, but thankfully none of the lovely ladies in the kitchen seemed to notice. “See you gals outside.” He called before he headed out the glass back door. The volume of voices immediately jumped and Bucky couldn't help smiling. There was a small-ish yard surrounded by bushes while the pool took up most of the patio with loungers, a table, a barbeque, and people taking up the rest. 

Something in him settled at the sight of all of them crowding around, relaxed, laughing and talking with drinks and food in hand. It wasn’t like in the movies; there was music, comfortably loud but it wasn’t blaring. No one was smoking or overly drunk or obscenely making out. Sure some guys were chasing each other and roughhousing, involved in some sort of game on the grass with a ball, but they were being respectful of everyone else not involved. 

Of course, his moment of peace taking in the sight lasted only a handful of seconds before half the girls (and a decent portion of the men) were excitedly calling out “Bucky!”, waving and calling for him and demanding he come join them. So he obliged. Gleefully wove his way through the masses, greeting everyone cheerfully. Accepting handshaking, flirting and smirking and winking when appropriate. It felt familiar, a practice sunk into his bones, and he felt more settled in his skin than he had since… well, since he’d gotten his tail.

Nobody prodded too hard about his two month absence from the social scene and let it go pretty quickly when he made it obvious he didn’t want to talk about it. He’d claimed a seat on one of the couches, two women on either side of him and several guys having pulled up chairs facing them to be a part of the conversation. And he hadn’t had to get up since; anytime he wanted something someone was eager to jump up and grab it for him. Usually for a wink or a kiss on the cheek, but Bucky loved it; loved being the center of attention like this.

Loved being surrounded by people, talking about nothing important or sometimes something very important that didn't seem that way in the course of conversation. Listening to others as well as telling his own stories, which was equally necessary and welcome. Cheering and laughing at the guys playing in the grass or teasing and smiling with the people calling over from other groups. Bucky was actually a little surprised how relaxed he was, with all the drinks around and even a _pool_ only a few feet away. At least no one had gotten in so he didn’t have to worry about someone splashing or otherwise getting him wet. Yet.

“Oh no.” The muttered words from Bucky’s left pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked at Connie in concern. She was looking towards the backdoor to the house and Bucky followed her gaze.

“Oh great.” Bucky muttered lowly in agreement. Having just exited the house was Brock Rumlow and his posse. For whatever reason, Brock had disliked Bucky from the moment they’d met and loved to pick fights with him. Bucky didn’t care for Brock either, since the man was a stereotypical jock bully, but this was not what he wanted to be dealing with today.

“Bucky.” Lillian, who was sitting on Bucky’s other side, tugged at his shirt and pleaded with her eyes. What exactly Lillian wanted him to do Bucky couldn’t say, but everyone around him had fallen quiet and was watching him closely, waiting to see.

“Hey, if he doesn’t start anything I have no intention of even acknowledging him.” Bucky assured them all, shifting to make himself more comfortable and looking away from Brock. His eyes fell on his fellow James Falsworth, who was seated in a chair facing him, and he smiled at the English nobleman. “Come on, Monty. What happened next?” He encouraged.

Monty seemed to pick up that Bucky wanted attention elsewhere and quickly continued telling his story about some crazy dinner he’d been to where some drunk businessman from another country nearly got himself arrested for insulting the Queen of England. It was nothing Bucky and the rest of his American friends fully understood, since they weren’t as well versed in the manners of English nobles as Monty, but it was amusing nonetheless. And it worked perfectly to get everyone’s attention off of Brock. 

Bucky subtly kept an eye on him, though, and was pretty sure Brock hadn’t even realized Bucky was here. Bucky wasn’t remotely surprised that Brock’s first move was to grab a cup of alcohol, chug it, then join the other men playing on the lawn. Bucky was no fitness slouch, but he didn’t quite see the appeal of whatever game it was they were playing; there was too much tackling involved. Didn’t mean he wanted Brock to win though and he wasn’t above using his new-ish powers to mess with him.

It was a simple matter of waiting for the right time then freezing a small patch of grass under Brock’s feet with a flick of his fingers. Brock slipped, of course, and dropped the ball. Bucky melted the ice, curling his fingers into his palm, before anyone could notice and then turned his attention back to Monty. Brock was shouting angrily in the background and Bucky had to fight down a smile as everyone glanced over at him. Several of the girls near him were stifling giggles and most of the guys looked ready to laugh as well. 

He wasn’t usually so vindictive, but the last time he’d seen Brock at school the man had ‘accidentally’ dumped an entire large cooler of gatorade on Bucky’s head. Which would have been bad enough on it’s own, but now? He’d barely made it to the supply closet before getting his tail and even after drying himself off (thank god he got all three powers when he got his tail; especially the heat one or he never would have gotten dry in time to make it to his next class without being late) his clothes had been sticky from the sugar. All day.

So yeah, he didn’t feel guilty for tripping Brock.

As if Brock knew Bucky was thinking about it, Brock finally looked over and noticed him. Bucky saw the way his whole body tensed up and his jaw twitched so Bucky just put on a smile and offered him a wave. Brock twitched again and stomped over to Bucky’s little group.

“Barnes.” He growled angrily and Bucky just raised an eyebrow, keeping a pleasant smile on his face. 

“Rumlow.” He answered politely. There was a beat of silence where Bucky could practically hear Brock panting in anger before Bucky asked: “can I help you?”

Brock spent a moment glaring at him, seemingly unaware of the way he was making everyone around them uncomfortable. The way everyone had stopped and all eyes at the party had turned to watch them. Bucky wasn’t worried or tense, but Brock looked ready to pick a fight. Bucky didn’t really _want_ to fight Brock, not physically at least, but especially not today and he hoped Brock would just walk away. He had no such luck. Moments later Brock was stalking towards him until he was towering over Bucky with a growled “What are you doing here?”

Bucky looked around with exaggerated movements, and made sure Brock saw him do it, then he turned back to Brock. “I was invited?” He offered like it was obvious, because it was, and Brock’s jaw twitched again. “Oh, you’re referring to my absence I assume. Yeah, I just had some personal stuff to deal with. But everything’s fine now and so here I am, ready to just relax and enjoy an evening with friends.” Bucky was aware it sounded slightly concedending, but it wasn’t like everyone here didn’t know Brock was a jerk and honestly what he'd said wasn't _really_ that rude even with his tone.

Brock didn't even reply: just huffed and stomped away, over to the grill to get food. Bucky let out a slow breath and relaxed back into the couch. “Well, let’s hope that that’s the most exciting part of the evening.” He finally joked and several of the people around him laughed. The tension dissipated at that and Bucky relaxed a little further into the couch.

“Oh, I can think of something that would be more exciting.” Connie teased playfully and Bucky looked at her, a smile threatening to form on his face. 

“What would that be?” He asked conspiratorially and she smiled brilliantly. 

“You taking off those layers and joining us in the pool. This is a pool party, after all.” She finished and Bucky forced himself to laugh despite the fear that twisted his stomach. There wasn’t a chance he was taking off even just his jacket, especially if people started getting in the pool. He loved his leather jacket and it had been a lifesaver more than once since Bucky had gotten his tail since water couldn’t get through it. He wasn't taking any chances today.

“Eh, I don’t know.” He complained half-heartedly, like he was only objecting for the sake of it, but actually wanted to join them. Even if he really was never going to.

“Oh, come on, Bucky! Come get in the pool with us!” Lillian encouraged, tugging on Bucky’s jacket as she and Connie got up. Several of the guys did too and they all started pulling off clothes to reveal the swimsuits underneath. Bucky took a moment to enjoy the sight; he liked both men and women and it was always a pleasure to see a plethora of skin and bodies of both types on display. 

But he still didn’t get up from the couch. “Are you going to join us, Bucky?” Monty asked after taking off his shirt, not pushing for anything but obviously hoping. Bucky bit his lip as he took in Monty’s chest, couldn’t help but remember the way the Englishman’s skin felt under his hands and against his own body. But he didn’t let lust influence his choice. He couldn’t.

He shook his head and offered “Nah, not just yet. Maybe later. But you guys should enjoy the pool.” He encouraged. The others looked disappointed, but got into the pool anyway with playful shouts and smiles all around. Monty though… Monty stayed where he was for a little bit longer watching Bucky with concern. 

“Bucky…” Monty started but Bucky offered him a smile and cut him off. 

“I’m fine, Monty. Promise.” He assured as genuinely as he could. Monty took a breath then nodded and slowly joined the others in the pool. Bucky let out a breath and slumped into the couch. Most everyone had gotten into the pool at this point, taking their cue from Bucky’s friends and it did look like fun. But Bucky couldn’t join them, not unless he wanted to get locked up somewhere.

So he stayed in his seat, sipping on soda and watching. Offering smiles and comments to people when they met his eyes or waved at him to join them. At least he wasn’t alone in not swimming. Dugan, a good friend of both Dottie and himself, also didn’t get in the pool but he at least had the excuse of being the grill master and Gabe Jones was keeping him company. Brock and his posse, along with a couple of others, were still playing on the lawn.

So Bucky just enjoyed the view and the food and the drinks, internally missing the previous pool parties he’d been to. But Bucky wouldn’t give up his tail even for that; it didn’t compare to what he’d experienced swimming in the ocean. Thinking about it made him yearn for the water in a way he never had before getting his tail. His legs almost felt itchy and he wiggled his toes, but it just felt wrong. It felt a little better to have his feet and legs pressed against one another, but it didn’t help much.

Bucky glanced over at the back door and sat up a little when someone he didn't know came out of the house. Led by Sam Wilson, a man Bucky didn’t really know either but liked well enough, was an utterly gorgeous specimen of human kind he absolutely hadn't seen before. Tall and muscularly built with an impossibly thin waist, brilliant blue eyes, and soft blond carefully trimmed hair; Bucky was smitten in an instant and he was not leaving this party until he got a chance to at least talk to this man. Hopefully not without also getting his phone number. Maybe they could even go home together, but Bucky might be getting ahead of himself.

The blond’s smile was like the sun and actually a little difficult to look directly at. So Bucky ducked his head and watched the blond out of the corner of his eye. He was talking enthusiastically to Sam as they made their way over to Dugan and Gabe, gesturing wildly but carefully so as to not hit anyone. He was obviously aware he was big and Bucky really wanted to find out how strong the man was because he looked _built_ and it was giving him _ideas_.

The blond and Sam both spent a few minutes talking to Dugan and Gabe as they slowly made up plates of food and it wasn’t until they pulled back looking for seats that Bucky spoke up. “You’re welcome to join me.” He offered. 

“Thanks.” Sam quickly took one of the seats facing him while the blond hesitated for a few moments before sitting next to Bucky on the couch. Bucky made sure not to shift too close so as to not spook the man, but he also didn’t want to sit too far away. He was hoping that if nothing else he might be able to get a little accidental brushing of limbs and find out if the blond's muscles were as rock solid as they appeared.

“Sam, right?” Bucky addressed the African American man first and he nodded. 

“Yeah. Sam Wilson.” He greeted as he held out a hand. “And that is my friend, Steve Rogers.” Sam added, gesturing to the blond and Bucky gave him his best smile as he offered Steve a hand. 

“Hello, Steve. It’s nice to meet you. I’m James Barnes but everyone calls me Bucky.” Bucky informed him and Steve accepted his hand. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Bucky.” Steve replied warmly and Bucky swallowed a little harder than he meant to because Steve’s Brooklyn-accented voice went right to his lower parts. Briefly his thoughts went to what happened to all that when he got his tail, but he subtly shook those away. It was something he could figure out later. “Are you from here?” Steve asked suddenly and Bucky nodded. 

“Yep. Born and raised. I’m going to college right now, working on my Master’s.” Bucky added and Steve brightened a bit. 

“Really? What are you studying?” Steve asked and Bucky smiled.

“Metal working. I mostly do construction work, but I’ve also made jewelry. That's what I prefer.” Bucky pulled off his most precious ring and offered it to Steve. “I made that about a month ago.” He added, in case it wasn’t clear. He loved that ring: it was intricate, sleeker than a man’s typical ring, and made of stainless steel, all designed around a stunning piece of rich purple amethyst Bucky had found one day swimming in the deep ocean. 

Steve looked amazed as he looked the ring over, watched the way the color shifted inside the stone. The way the light caught the metal. Bucky was immensely proud of how clean it had turned out. “This is gorgeous. You really made this?” Steve asked as he handed it back and Bucky slipped it back onto his finger, taking a moment to admire it. 

“Yes, I did.” He confirmed proudly. 

“How did you… Where did you get that amethyst from?” Steve asked and Bucky chuckled. 

“I found it diving. It was just there on the ocean floor.” Bucky informed him and Steve’s eyes widened even further. 

“You dive? Me too! I go as often as possible.” Steve sounded so excited and Bucky couldn’t help returning his brilliant honest smile with one of his own. “I’ve never found anything as cool as that amethyst though.” Steve added and Bucky laughed. 

“I just got really lucky, I suppose.” Bucky assured. “But what about you? Beyond diving, what are your days like?” 

Steve chuckled then his expression fell and Bucky’s heart went out to him. “Oh, um… I do art. Mostly. I…” He glanced at Sam and swallowed. “I actually just got back from a tour of duty. My last.” He finally offered quickly and Bucky nodded. 

“I see. Well, I imagine it’s already been said, but thank you for your service and welcome home.” Bucky offered, more intimately than he meant to and Steve gave him a soft half smile. 

“Thanks, Bucky.” He answered quietly. 

There was an awkward pause and Bucky noticed that at some point Sam had wandered back over to Gabe and Dugan, leaving just the pair of them to talk. He took a breath then put on another smile. “So, what kind of art do you do?” He asked and Steve brightened up again. 

“Drawing mostly, sketching and the like. But I’ve done paintings as well.” Steve answered. “I usually sketch real things, stuff I’ve seen or whatever’s in front of me. People or places, usually. My paintings tend to be more abstract.” Steve added and Bucky nodded, listening closely. 

“I’d love to see them some time.” Bucky offered and Steve actually blushed, which was kind of adorable given that Steve was over six feet and 200 pounds of muscle and blushed cherry red to the tips of his ears like a middle school girl getting her first compliment.

“Okay.” He agreed almost in a whisper, but he sounded excited and Bucky beamed at him. He had a feeling this was going to be the start of a good friendship, if not hopefully something more.


	2. Pool Party Hazards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is having the time of his life getting to know Steve, so of course it's time for things to go wrong.

Time passed distantly until it was late into the afternoon and Bucky only noticed because all of a sudden he was melting in his leather jacket. He had only thought about protection from water and completely forgot about how hot sitting in the afternoon sun was going to make him. He was on his third bottle of water and he _ really  _ wanted to dump it on his face. Or just join the others in the pool. Or just do something to cool off.

“Are you alright, Buck? You’re looking kind of red.” Steve offered and Bucky just smiled at him as he nodded. 

“Just a bit hot.” He admitted and Steve gave him a look.

“So take your  _ leather jacket _ off, you idiot.” Steve reminded playfully and Bucky stuck his tongue out at the blond.

“No need to be so sassy about it, punk.” He grumbled as he took a breath and slowly peeled the jacket off. His t-shirt was no less flattering of course, but offered significantly less protection from water and Bucky felt exposed with the jacket gone. It made him anxious in a way he rarely ever was, and certainly had never been before. But it did mean at least he wasn’t 9000 degrees which was nice.

When he groaned Steve actually laughed at him. “Bucky, really. What did you think was going to happen with that jacket on?” Steve commented and Bucky pouted. 

“I thought it looked nice.” He grumbled and Steve kept on chuckling. 

“Well, it does suit your whole bad boy look.” Steve admitted and Bucky smirked at him, preening a little bit under the compliment. 

“You’re not so bad yourself.” Bucky countered playfully. He wasn’t sure if he himself was only teasing or if his flirting was genuine and he had no idea if Steve was just friendly or actually flirting back. And he only kind of cared. What he did know was that they’d gotten progressively closer until they were almost pressed side to side and pretty much everyone else at the party had ceased to exist, at least for Bucky. 

Plus, he loved seeing Steve blush cherry red at every little compliment Bucky gave him.

“Not going to go infecting another person with your gayness are you, Barnes?” Bucky actually jumped a little at Rumlow’s sudden voice and immediately glared at him. 

“First, that’s not how sexuality works, Rumlow, and second, I’m not gay. I’m bi.” Bucky corrected, trying not to sound too angry. He did not want to get into a fight with Rumlow in front of Steve this early on. It might give Steve the wrong impression of him. But even just being this near Rumlow made Bucky want to grit his teeth and he had to try hard not to tighten his hands into fists.

Possibly even more concerning was the way Steve had tensed up next to him and Bucky wasn’t sure he wanted to risk looking at the captain. He did not want to see the blond looking at him with disgust or hatred so he just didn’t turn that way. He watched Rumlow instead, met the man’s disgust with a fierce glare of his own because he was not about to feel ashamed for being what he was. 

Rumlow opened his mouth, but Steve’s voice cut him off before he could say anything. “Is there a problem?” It was such a simple question, but the tone sent a shiver through Bucky’s body. Vividly he could see Steve directing an entire platoon of soldiers on a battlefield with a voice like that. It was a demand of action and a promise of trust and a threat against disobedience all in one. It probably shouldn't have been remotely arousing but hey, what could Bucky say? He liked strong men. 

Rumlow didn’t look nearly as frightened by it as Bucky thought he should be, but then again Bucky was the one who’d spent the afternoon listening to Steve’s stories about his feats in the army. He risked a glance at the 26 year old captain, who was looking not at him but at Rumlow with a fierce glare on his face.

Rumlow frowned and crossed his arms. “Yeah. I have a problem with his kind being here.” Rumlow informed Steve, with a nod at Bucky. Considering some of the things Rumlow had called him in the past, he had actually censored himself surprisingly well this time.

Steve shifted forward as he straightened up in his seat and squared his shoulders and for a brief moment Bucky was utterly taken aback by the realization that Steve was being protective  _ of him _ . “Our kind, you mean? Bucky’s not the only queer person here.” Steve countered and Bucky’s heart went warm because he  _ hadn’t _ been imagining the connection he had with Steve and he was glad their flirting had been more genuine than just jest or habit.

Rumlow was taken by surprise for a moment, an expression Bucky savored while it lasted, and then Rumlow seemed to notice how everyone else was watching them. How Gabe and Dugan and Sam had all moved away from the grill towards them and Monty looked ready to jump out of the pool and into a fight, if Rumlow decided to pick one. He backed up a step then walked away in a huff and Bucky slowly slumped back against the couch, tension fading from his body. 

Steve watched until Rumlow was far enough away he couldn't easily come back, then the blond turned to him. "Are you okay, Bucky?" Steve sounded so unbelievably earnest and looked it too. It was such a difference from how serious he'd been facing down Rumlow but Bucky had already realized that Steve was the kind of man to go in wholeheartedly in every situation.

He nodded and let himself relax further against the couch. "Yeah, thanks. Sorry about him. I don't know what his problem is, but he's been a bigot ever since I came out. Today was actually one of the least horrible confrontations we’ve ever had." Bucky informed him, trying to sound as casual as possible. He really didn’t like letting Rumlow get to him but right now Bucky just felt exhausted trying to deal with him.

Steve still looked worried. Bucky offered him a smile as everyone else around them seemed to finally relax. Steve was chewing on his lip and glanced at the pool before he said “so, this is a pool party. Want to hop in?” He offered.

Bucky swallowed and shook his head. “Nah, I think I’m going to stay dry today. But you should get in. I’m sure everyone here will appreciate seeing those muscles out from under that shirt.” Bucky teased, though it lacked his usual playfulness, and Steve blushed but nodded. The blond was a little slow to pull his shirt off but once it was? Bucky was almost drooling when he realized that not only was Steve built like a tank and stunningly toned with just the right amount of chest hair, he had _ tattoos _ . Bucky wanted to lick them.

Bucky wasn’t the only one looking either; the women were squealing and the men were wolf whistling. Sam even called “Looking good, Steve!”, which put a bashful smile on Steve’s face along with a red blush that spread all the way to the tips of Steve’s ears. It was honestly adorable. Steve glanced Bucky's way once more before getting in the pool. 

He moved with the grace of someone who knew their body well and was perfectly comfortable with it. Bucky was a little envious: he'd never been particularly self conscious but it was only with his tail he felt so at ease the way Steve exuded confidence now. But mostly he was just internally fawning because the soldier looked  _ good _ and Bucky hadn't had a crush like this in a long time.

He was busy cataloguing every shift and bulge of Steve's muscles as he swam when it happened. Literal ice water was dumped on his head, soaking his hair and shoulders. For the briefest of moments everything kind of just froze. Time slowed to a complete heart wrenching stop for the span of a single breath and then snapped back into motion like lightning as Bucky whipped up from the seat and bolted.

Out of sight. He had to get out of sight. There was nowhere nearby to hide; nothing he could risk, anyway. But the river. He could make it down the dock. He sprinted, counting down his ten seconds in his head. He pulled his phone from his pocket at five and was diving off the dock by seven. He was halfway in the water when the transformation happened, but his blue tail was underwater before anyone should have been able to see him. He really hoped. 

Bucky settled onto the riverbed, hiding among the plants growing along the bottom. They didn't cover him, they weren’t tall enough, but from the surface the most someone would see might be a shimmer of scales or a flash of pale skin that wouldn't look like anything. Nothing that would give away his identity or existence.

He needed a plan.

He could hold his breath for a very long time, but he didn't exactly want to hang out here for the next twenty or more minutes only to then risk surfacing this near a large group of people. Especially ones that would no doubt be curious about where he had disappeared to. He'd have to go somewhere else. The moon pool was always an option but it was farther than he wanted to go and he’d still need a safe place to get dry on the mainland. His place was also farther than he wanted to go, plus his mom and sisters would be home. Pepper and Maria both lived inland so they certainly weren't options.

Natasha. Her family's home was on the river, not too far away, and this time of day at most she'd have Clint over. Plan made, Bucky looped the strap for his phone around his wrist and started swimming. It amazed him still that he could navigate so well even moving as quickly as he did, but it was never a problem for any of them. Driving it would have taken ten minutes to get to Natasha's house; for Bucky swimming it took less than two.

He surfaced slowly down by the dock. It was tucked into a man-made lagoon surrounded by a stone jetty so he didn't have to worry about the neighbors seeing him while in the water, but since there was no beach he did have to get Tasha's attention if he wanted to get out. He used his powers to lift a small bubble of water and then launched it towards Tasha's bedroom window. It hit the glass with a splat and Bucky ducked down close to one of the pillars holding up the dock. A few moments later his caution was proven unnecessary as it was Clint who pushed the window open. 

Bucky moved away from the pillar a bit and waved. Clint paused for a moment then gave him a thumbs up, though his face was confused. Then he ducked back into the room. Bucky dove down then launched up, jumping out of the water just far enough to drop his phone onto the dock. There was no way he could haul himself up though, so thank god Clint was here and could help pull him up. 

He only had to wait for a few minutes before Clint and Natasha came out the back door and hurried over to him. “Hey.” He called cheerfully and got serious looks from both of them. 

“What happened, Bucky?” Natasha asked. She was staying back a bit, understandably trying to avoid getting wet, while Clint reached down to help him up. 

“I may have gone to that pool party you told me not to go to.” Bucky admitted and Natasha sighed. Bucky grabbed Clint’s arms and pumped his tail as the other man yanked hard. There was a small moment where he was most of the way out of the water but not on the dock and he was certain he was going to fall back, and probably pull Clint in alongside him. Thankfully, Clint had enough experience with this by now not to let it happen.

Bucky still let out of a huff as only his top half landed on the dock, the wood edge digging into his stomach and his tail hanging with the fan just barely brushing water. He flipped his tail up and Clint grabbed it, using it to pull him the rest of the way. Bucky couldn’t help groaning as Clint dropped him, because ow; he wasn’t really meant to bend that way. But at least he was out of the water.

Natasha was nice enough to start drying him with her powers while Clint grumbled “Bucky, I swear you make the lifting girls seem like lifting marshmallows. Jesus.” Bucky let him continue his muttered tirade while holding back a hiss because drying his tail this way always stung. At least it was only a matter of seconds before he was dry enough to get his legs back. 

He reached for his phone only to pause when he realized it was still wet. He gave Clint a pleading look and the brunet shook his head with rolled eyes before he scooped up the phone and dried it off with his shirt. “Thanks.” Bucky said as Clint held it out for him. It still turned on, he already had a few concerned messages from people at the party, and once again Bucky silently thanked Natasha for making sure they all had waterproof cell phone cases. 

“Come on.” Natasha insisted as she started walking towards the house. Clint followed like a puppy and Bucky scrambled up to join them. It wasn’t until they were in Natasha’s bedroom that any of them spoke. Well, first Bucky flopped facedown on the bed feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet. Natasha sat next to him and ran a hand through his hair. “What’s wrong Bucky?”

“I messed up. When I had to leave the party.” He answered.

“I think you messed up by going, but let’s not argue that. Is there a particular reason why?” Natasha asked, not unkindly.

Bucky debated what to say and finally offered a groaned “I have a crush. Hardest I think I’ve crushed since middle school. And he probably hates me now.”

“Hates you how? You left abruptly, not ditched him.” Clint said and Bucky shrugged, his face still buried against the comforter.

“I didn’t even get his phone number to give him some reason why.” Bucky was aware he sounded a bit like a child. It was good that Clint and Natasha had known him for so long; they at least wouldn’t judge him for it. Tease him, yes, but not judge. “He’s really something amazing and the way we clicked was just… It felt like I’d known him all my life. And now I can’t even contact him.”

“Tell me you at least got a name.” Clint joked halfheartedly.

“Steve. His name is Steve Rogers. He’s an army captain that just got back from a tour of duty.” Bucky added.

“Shouldn’t be difficult to find if you want us to try, Bucky.” Clint offered and Bucky looked at them. They both had sympathetic smiles and Bucky offered a weak one back. 

“Maybe.” He muttered. At the moment, he felt too tired and annoyed at himself to really think about it. Mostly he was just upset that the otherwise wonderful day had ended so poorly. Natasha and Clint got it and Bucky was ever so thankful for their friendship. Clint offered him chips from the bag he’d just opened while Natasha turned on some music. Bucky slowly felt himself relaxing, even nodding off against the mattress. If asked, he’d blame heat stroke, but really? He just knew he was safe and loved.

And Natasha and Clint were definitely laughing at him when he groaned again, louder this time, and muttered "God damn it, I left my favorite leather jacket".


	3. Early Morning Songs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky gets the chance to apologize to Steve a little sooner than he expected.

Bucky loved the early morning. He knew that it was probably weird, but his now habitual pre-dawn swim had become his favorite part of the day. It was only this early morning, so early he got to watch the sun rise over the ocean and there was absolutely no one around, that he was able to lounge on the rocks with his tail out and sing.

Today the band coming out of his mouth was One Direction. He blamed his little sisters for knowing their songs so well, but sue him; they were still a good band and he was in a romantic mood. He let the rocks hold his weight and only his left hand moved, his fingers making lazy circles through one of the shallow tide pools. The rest of him was pretty much dry and while his tail was a little itchy, he didn’t want to get up. He stretched out further, body relaxed and muscles comfortably warm after his swim, and sang.

The sky was just light enough to be differentiated from the ocean when Bucky pulled out his phone, still singing though a bit softer now. He didn’t have any new messages and when someone nearby suddenly called “hello?” Bucky’s phone took a tumble right into the tidepool. Bucky was more concerned with getting himself dry as quickly as possible and it was, at most, two seconds before his tail was replaced by his legs and a pair of navy swim trunks.

It felt like much longer.

He was just in time for none other than  _ Steve _ to walk around the rocks into sight. And Bucky’s mouth watered because this wasn’t the put together Steve he’d met at the party; this was sweaty Steve in basketball shorts and a way too tight tee-shirt. Clearly, he was in the middle of a workout and Bucky was more than happy to oogle him. 

“Oh! Bucky, hello. I just…” Steve faltered when he saw him, though his smile was wide, and gestured helplessly around behind him as he continued. “I heard singing.” He finally finished lamely. There was a beat of silence before he added “Was that you?” in a quiet unsure voice. 

Bucky nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I hope I didn’t bother you. I didn’t think there was anyone nearby.” He added. 

“No!” Steve’s objection was adamant and immediate. “Er… It wasn’t a bother. You’re really good. That’s why I stopped. Lured me in like a siren, I guess.” Steve was rubbing the back of his neck as he blushed and Bucky’s returning smile was a little weak; Steve calling him a siren hit a little too close to home, too near to the truth, no matter how much the blond was joking.

“Thanks.” He finally forced out, almost wheezing.

“Oh, your phone.” Steve bent down and scooped it up from the tide pool. It was dripping wet and he cringed. “Uh…” Steve faltered. 

“It’s fine. Waterproof case. Can even dive with it.” Bucky offered as he eyed the water dripping off. There was no way he could dry the phone with his powers before taking it without Steve noticing. When Steve held it out, Bucky bit his lip. After the briefest moment he realized, duh. He had a towel with him. So he grabbed the phone with the towel and dried it off. In ten seconds he would know if any water had gotten through. 

“That’s smart, actually. I should get one for my phone.” Steve said and Bucky was finally able to smile more genuinely at him. This long without feeling anything, he was probably in the clear. Crisis averted and he had another chance to talk to Steve. Today was turning out great. Steve smiled back brilliantly then looked around. “Hey, so, I’ve still got a swim on my workout. Would you like to join me?” Steve asked suddenly. 

Bucky wanted to. God, he wanted to. And Steve looked so eager to have him come along. But he  _ couldn’t _ . “Nah, not today. I already took a pretty long swim earlier this morning.” He said, trying to sound casual. Steve looked disappointed. “Um, but, maybe we could meet up for lunch? Or do something in town this afternoon?” Bucky offered and Steve’s sudden smile was better than the sunrise. 

“I’d love to! Also, I need to give you back your jacket." Steve added suddenly.

"Oh, thank god it was you that got it. That's my favorite jacket." Bucky said and Steve laughed.

"Can I have your phone number?” Steve asked and Bucky nodded. Steve quickly pulled out his own phone and Bucky gave him a moment to get ready before giving Steve his number. A few moments later Bucky’s phone buzzed, showing a new text that was undoubtedly from Steve.

“Great.” Bucky stood and gathered up his stuff. “I’m going to head home and take a shower. Shall we meet up around, say, 11?” 

Steve glanced at the time before he nodded. “That’ll be enough time for me to finish up and get ready too.” Steve agreed. Bucky couldn’t help smiling and Steve smiled back. 

“I can’t wait.” Bucky said sincerely. He didn’t want to leave and Steve seemed content to linger there with him. Finally Bucky moved; he had to step closer to Steve to get around him and it momentarily put them chest to chest. The close almost-touching of it was like torture. A wonderful torture that Bucky only wanted to end with them touching, preferably all over.

And then Bucky was slipping past. He was on his way up the cliff-face stairs that led to the parking lot before he glanced back down. Steve was watching him and Bucky waved. Steve blushed so hard he could see it from here before the blond sheepishly waved back. Bucky chuckled to himself and continued on his way. He felt Steve’s eyes on him until he was out of sight and it was far from unwelcome.

He drove a bit faster than he meant to and made it in nearly record time because he was so eager to get home. He practically jogged inside and nearly fell trying to pull his shoes off in the entryway without stopping. “Bucky?” His mom was in the kitchen holding a cup of coffee and was understandably surprised to see him in such a rush. 

“Sorry, mom, have to shower. I have a date!” He announced as he climbed the stairs two at a time. He could hear his mom laughing at him. The moment his bedroom door was shut behind him he threw off his clothes and entered his bathroom. It was only as he reached for the hot water knob that he realized what he was doing and jerked back. Because it was early, yes, but he really didn’t have enough time between now and eleven for a bath. Not with how long it took now that he had a tail.

Bucky took a moment then sighed and fell on his backup method. It had taken some investigation, and practice, to find a quick way to wash up without transforming and it was still a little bit hit or miss some days, but at the very least Bucky could be sure he wouldn’t smell. He could wipe off with soap and water, as long as he dried it off right away. Deodorant and most colognes were fine and so was dry shampoo. So he made due. Styled his hair and used an electric razor and dressed carefully and thankfully, the finished product was good. 

His jeans and boots were flattering. His shirt was well fitted and brought out the blue in his eyes. All his accessories highlighted his features. Overall, it was a good look for his first real date with Steve. A glance at his phone told him he had really overestimated how long it would take him to get ready; it was barely 9. 

So he headed back downstairs and matched his mother’s smile with one of his own. “Aw, you look lovely, darling.” She said and Bucky kissed her cheek. 

“Thanks, ma.” He returned as he slipped past her to get a mug of coffee for himself. 

She eyed his mug with a critical eye. “I thought you were in a rush.” She commented, probing lightly, and he chuckled as he settled back against the counter. 

“Yeah, date’s not til 11. Took me a bit less time to get ready than I thought.” Bucky answered lightly and she laughed. 

“You’ve always been in a rush.” She commented as she put her mug in the sink and Bucky could only laugh, because she loved telling him about how much of a headache he’d been as a child. Even if her rinsing out her cup made him a tiny bit nervous. 

“I’ve always got time for you, ma.” Bucky answered and she laughed. She reached out and stroked his cheek and it took everything he had not to immediately yank back when he realized her hands were wet. He just snatched up the nearest towel and dried off his cheek with a joking complaint of “ma, I already got all done up”.

Thankfully she just laughed again and shook her head at him, and he was able to get dry with plenty of time to spare. “Vanity is a sin.” She warned with a pointed finger and Bucky posed, showing off his features in an exaggerated way.

“And so is denying the world all this handsomeness.” He countered and she laughed again. It was warm and bright and he loved hearing her laugh like that. Bucky chuckled along with her when Becca suddenly entered the room, yawning as she sleepily took in the sight. 

“It’s too early for you to be preening in the kitchen.” Becca grumbled and Bucky shifted out of her way so she could get coffee of her own. 

“I’m not preening. I have a date.” Bucky corrected and Becca rolled her eyes. So did his mother and Bucky crossed his arms with a pout. “There’s no impressing you two, is there?”

“Bucky, I still have pictures of you as a four year old running naked down the street. More than once. You’ve been shameless since before you knew what that meant.” Becca answered and Bucky groaned as he rubbed his face. 

“Becca, don’t be mean.” His mother said and Becca waved her hand in acceptance of the warning, choosing to sip on her coffee instead of answering. Then their mother turned on him. “Now Bucky, who is the lucky individual?” 

Bucky knew the signs of an upcoming interrogation, but this was one he could consent to. “His name is Steve. We met at a party a couple of days ago and then again this morning on the beach.” Bucky informed them. 

“What does he do?” His mother asked.

“He’s an army captain and just got back from a tour of duty.” Bucky answered and immediately both women gave him concerned looks. “I know, I know.” Bucky began but fell quiet at the expression on his mother's face. 

“Are you sure you’re prepared for that?” She asked seriously.

“Prepared for what?” Bucky questioned back, though he had a feeling he knew what she was asking. His and Becca’s father had been in the army, and died in the service. His mother looked sad and Bucky’s heart wrenched at the pain there. “No, ma, it’s okay, you don’t…” He started but stopped when she held up a hand. 

He stayed quiet, both him and Becca waiting intently for her to speak. It was a few moments. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. I love you. You’re my beautiful baby boy, my miracle. And I know what it’s like to be an army wife. If you really love him, I’ll support you. Of course I will. But I know the struggles having a significant other in the military.”

“Oh, ma.” Bucky stepped forward, easily covering the distance between them, and wrapped her in a hug. She returned it, holding him tightly just like she always had when he was little. Except now he was taller than both her and Becca. “It’s okay. I don’t know how serious it is yet and if it gets serious, we'll all have a talk about it. I promise. But if he is the one I know you’ll support me.”

“Of course, my darling. Of course.” His mother promised and Bucky kissed her head, giving her a squeeze. Then he pulled back. 

“Alright, ma. I’ve got to get going, but I’ll let you know how it goes tonight or tomorrow, okay?” He promised and she nodded. She reached up and cradled his cheek, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb gently. Smiling at him with the kind of love only a mother could. 

“Be safe and have fun.” She insisted and Bucky kissed her cheek. 

“Love ya, ma.” He said before he headed for the front door. 

He had just finished lacing up his boots when he heard his mother call “And wear a condom until you’re sure he’s clean!”

He nearly choked on his own spit and shouted “Ma!” Both women started laughing and Bucky felt scandalized as he snatched up his keys. No matter how they told the story later, Bucky would swear he did not flee even if he did rush out the door a little faster than was strictly necessary.


	4. Full Moon Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky's first date with Steve is going wonderfully. But he forgot one important little detail about today.

Bucky could not remember the last time he’d laughed so much in a single day. Lunch had been a simple affair, just sandwiches and a picnic in the park, but fun. Afterwards, they’d gone and walked through the mall then hit up a small art gallery that Steve said he’d wanted to go to for a while but never had. And now, they were at a seaside restaurant about to eat a fantastic dinner. It didn’t matter that they’d been together for hours already today, Bucky didn’t want to be away from Steve yet.

“Okay, so let me get this straight.” Bucky started after he’d managed to mostly stop laughing. His cheeks hurt, he'd been smiling so much. It was totally okay though. “You guys just walked in the jungle without any sort of plan for finding this place without even bringing bug spray?”

Steve was bright red and burying his face in his hands as he nodded miserably, but Bucky knew there was a smile on his face. “Yeah, definitely not the highest point of my career. We were starving and dirty and had absolutely zilch by the time we found our way back out. And god, the bug bites. I swear I was itching for over a month in places I didn’t think bugs could even get.” Steve moaned miserably and Bucky started snickering all over again. 

Steve peeked at him through his fingers and there was something warm and fond in his eyes that made Bucky’s heart race. Bucky had never felt so content with someone before and he swallowed as his mother’s words came back to him. “Um, so, there’s something I feel we need to talk about.” Bucky muttered and Steve was smart enough to know Bucky was switching to a more serious mood. 

“Okay. I’m listening.” He promised as he dropped his hands from his face and sat up straighter. Bucky appreciated the attention, even if it made it harder to swallow. 

“So my ma, she brought something up before I left this morning when I mentioned our date.” Bucky began and Steve nodded for him to continue. “It’s… well. I guess I should start by saying that I really like you. Like, I  _ really _ like you.” He confessed and Steve chuckled. 

“I really like you too, Buck.” Steve answered sincerely and Bucky smiled at him. 

“I’m glad to hear that. But, with your career, my mom had some concerns about us being in a relationship if we ever decided to try something steady.” Bucky explained. Steve nodded. 

“That’s understandable. Any concerns in particular?” Steve questioned and Bucky was grateful he was taking this seriously. Even so it took him a moment to speak.

“My dad…” He started and Steve suddenly went still, waiting patiently and watching him closely as he listened intently. “He was military and so my mom knows better than most what it’s like to be a military spouse. And what it’s like to lose that person while they're serving.” 

“Oh, Buck. I’m sorry. I lost my father the same way when I was an infant. It was partly why I joined.” Steve offered with a sympathetic smile and Bucky swallowed but nodded. 

“I’m sorry for your loss, too.” He returned. He took a breath to center himself and Steve was doing the same. “But regardless, it’s a concern of my mom’s and the women in my life are very important to me. So, you should probably also know that there will be times when I will prioritize them over you. And not just my mother and sister, but my friends too.”

Steve was nodding as he spoke. "That's okay. Of course that's okay. I would never want to take away something important to you. I just hope that you could include me sometimes too." Steve said and Bucky nodded. 

"Absolutely. And I'm sure there would be times when I'd put you over them. I just wanted to be sure you understood that my friends and family aren't something I'll give up. Not even for someone I really like." Bucky explained. 

"Nor should you. I would make the same request, but I pretty much only have one friend so…” Steve shrugged nonchalantly and Bucky couldn’t help laughing a little.

“I’m sure you’ve got more than one friend.” Bucky countered and Steve shrugged. 

“I’m sure Sam would disagree with you. Given how frequently I talk to him. And no one else.” Steve insisted playfully and Bucky chuckled again for a few moments.

“Hey, I’m someone else and look at us; we're even on a date. I’m sure Sam would be proud.” Bucky said and finally Steve laughed too.

“I’m sure he would. He’s been trying to get me to go on a date with pretty much anybody since we met in basic training.” Steve said and again Bucky laughed. 

Their waiter came over then and set down their drinks. “Here you go. Are you ready to order?” He asked and Bucky winced. Steve seemed to know why, since neither of them had so much as touched their menus yet, but unknown to Steve it definitely had something to do with the water sloshing around in his glass too.

“Give us a few more minutes?” Steve requested and the waiter’s smile was definitely laughing at them.

“Of course. Take your time.” He assured warmly before he stepped away. Bucky grabbed his bag from where it was resting on the ground near his feet and pulled out his reusable metal straw he’d taken to carrying lately. Steve gave him a look and Bucky frowned playfully. 

“Shut it, it’s better for the environment and surprisingly handy.” Bucky declared before he carefully dropped it into his water. He wasn’t going to mention, but it was also great for helping him stay dry in situations like this. Steve just laughed as he shook his head, but his smile was fond and Bucky couldn’t help smiling back.

For a moment they just stared at each other like idiots, but Bucky couldn't be bothered to care. The silence was never awkward with Steve, nor was locking eyes. The moment was broken by an alert sound from his phone and Bucky frowned fiercely at it for interrupting. “One sec.” He said as he picked it up. It had been upside down on the table, but as soon as he turned on the screen his heart dropped. Because his most recent notification was an alert from his weather app that the full moon had just risen. 

“Everything okay?” Steve asked and he sounded worried. Bucky couldn't blame him; he was pretty sure all the blood had just drained from his face.

“Uh, I actually need to make a phone call.” Bucky finally managed to say and Steve nodded as he struggled to get up from his seat. Bucky felt awful for the way he practically fled the dining room. He got outside and kept his head down as he ducked around to the side of the building away from the moon. It was thankfully devoid of anyone, but was facing the water. Normally, the ocean didn’t seem intimidating even when it was black as tar during the night, but on the full moon things tended to get weird.

His phone was ringing before he even had the chance to call Natasha and he quickly answered. “Bucky, where are you? Please tell me you’re at home.” She insisted.

“Uh, I might be on a date.” He muttered. The noise she made was frustrated and Bucky didn’t blame her. “I forgot it was the full moon?” He added in the way of an apology and she practically snarled.

“Clint can come get you. Where are you?” She demanded. 

“Uh, definitely too far to not get moonstruck on the ride back. But I’m by the shore. It’s probably better if I just head for the moonpool at this point. At least it's isolated and that’s where the moon always pulls us to go anyway.” He suggested and she sighed. 

“You’ll miss class tomorrow morning.” She warned.

“I know. But what choice do I have?” Bucky countered as he started walking for the end of the dock. “Just, what do I tell Steve tomorrow?” He asked.

“I don’t know, Bucky.” Natasha answered and he opened his mouth to reply when all of a sudden the water just in front of him started stretching up into the air in a way that only their powers had ever made it do. Bucky could only stare open mouthed at the faintly glowing tentacle that had formed in front of him and was now hovering like it was looking at him.

“What the hell…” He started to mutter when suddenly all he could see was the moon, reflecting in the light of the water tentacle. It was so pretty; silver and sparkly and round.

His fear, his concerns about Steve, his guilt for worrying Natasha, all of it was gone and all he felt was the pull. The tentacle wanted him and he was willing to let it take him. He wanted it to. Natasha was calling “Bucky” in an increasingly frantic voice as his phone slipped from his ear, then from his hand. Distantly he heard it hit the wood at his feet as he started walking forward. 

The tentacle stretched forward to meet him and when he touched it, it felt like coming home. It enveloped him, pulled him from the dock as his tail formed and it felt so good. So good to give up his legs and be one with the water. He was pulled rapidly through the ocean and he didn’t even have to swim. He could just ride the current. Distantly he recognized when he reached the moonpool, but there was a warmth coursing through him like the most soothing hug so it was a there and gone kind of observation.

He closed his eyes and revelled in the sensations. It was wonderful, blissful, better than anything he’d ever felt, and then there was something pulling on him. Trying to pull him away from that soothing warmth. He didn’t want to be seperated from it, but abruptly he was. For a moment he thought he was falling and then there was just nothing. 


	5. The Start of Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something big has just begun.

“Bucky!” 

“Come on, Bucky, wake up.”

“Please, please, wake up.” 

“You are not allowed to leave us yet, James Barnes! Now wake up!” 

Three frantic voices that sounded like they were all around him, that was the first thing he heard. Slowly, with a groan, he forced his eyes open. There was rock above him, familiar rock with a gap in them that he knew the full moon would cross. “Bucky?” Pepper, it was Pepper speaking to him and she sounded worried. 

“Pep?” He muttered weakly and he felt unusually tired. Like his limbs didn't want to hold him. Thankfully, there were hands holding him up and his tail was fairly buoyant in the water. 

“Yeah, I’m here. How do you feel?” Pepper asked and Bucky slowly turned his head to look at her. She was on his left. Her strawberry blond hair was wet and she was in water. They all were.

“Tired.” He finally answered and she nodded. 

“Beyond that? Are you okay? In any pain?” Natasha was on his right and he nodded slowly after looking at her. Gently Natasha pulled him over until he was resting against the rocks lining the pool. He didn’t really have the energy to hold himself up and thankfully the girls didn’t let him go yet, but laying on something solid was grounding. 

“What happened?” He asked and they shared a concerned look. 

“We were hoping you could tell us. But on our end; Natasha heard you muttering about the moon so as soon as we realized you’d dropped your phone, we all rushed to the moonpool. When we got here you were… floating. Being drawn up into the sky in a pillar of water. I’ve never seen anything like it. We pulled you out.” Maria explained.

Bucky had to take a moment to think about what had happened. “I was on the dock, outside the restaurant, and then the ocean just stretched up into a water snake or tentacle or something. Probably like what you saw. I got moonstruck by the reflection in it. It… wanted me. I could just tell. I just knew. And touching it felt like… Felt like coming home.” He explained softly. Even now he could feel it, almost ached for it.

“Bucky!” Someone was gently shaking him and he snapped back to reality with a gasp. He jerked upright and was met with three pairs of concerned eyes. 

"Sorry, I'm alright." He promised. Natasha was still eyeing him suspiciously like she didn’t quite believe him, and Bucky wasn’t quite sure he believed himself either, but Pepper at least seemed less worried.

"I should call Clint." Pepper suddenly announced and she grabbed her phone from where it was sitting in the sand. There was only one other cell phone nearby.

She put it on speaker so they all could hear and it rang three times before Clint answered with "Please tell me you found him."

"We found him. Short version; he's okay but we might have to start being careful on full moons again." Natasha answered.

"Thank god. Tell him I talked to Steve, who found his phone." Clint obviously hadn't figured out he was on speaker and for some reason it made Bucky want to laugh. He flipped over with some effort and moved next to Pepper. 

"I can hear you. What happened? Is he mad?" Bucky asked.

"Sounded more worried than mad, honestly. I told him you and the girls have always spent full moons together since you were kids and they needed you. That’s why you had to leave so abruptly. He said he'd hang onto your phone and bag for you after I also told him you have a habit of leaving stuff behind." Clint informed him and Bucky sighed, torn between relief and embarrassment as he slumped against the rock. 

Maria put a hand on his shoulder, her expression worried, and he offered her a smile. He really felt alright, other than the exhaustion through every inch of his limbs. “Thanks for handling that, Clint.” Bucky finally said. 

“No problem, man. It happens. Or, well, it happens to you four anyway. Are you guys going to come back tonight or just staying at the moonpool?” Clint asked.

Natasha looked over Bucky before she said, “Staying here. I think Bucky’s too tired to swim back right now and besides, there’s not much point in us heading out now anyway with the moon still up. We don’t want whatever happened to happen again.” Natasha added. 

“Alright. Stay safe. I’ll try and get your schoolwork tomorrow if I can.” Clint was often such a goof, but he could really be responsible when he had to be. That stray random thought made Bucky notice he was far more tired than he had realized. The girls kept talking to him but Bucky found himself nodding off, head on his arms on the side of the pool.

He was surprisingly comfortable laying here like this. The sound of seawater lapping at the rocks, his tail buoyant enough to easily keep him afloat. There was no itchiness under his skin or pull to swim. Bucky didn’t really notice as he nodded off and he dreamt of a vast ocean, so deep and wide it seemed endless. It was a world without land, but he had nothing to fear. Even the sharks stayed away as he zipped through the waters like a bullet. 

He swam to the surface and looked at the sky, an endless vast expanse of stars with no ambient light to block it. He lay there on his back, bobbing slightly in the waves. Then, a shooting star streaked across the sky. At first it was just one, then there was more and more. Bucky couldn’t help smiling. It was the most beautiful meteor shower he’d ever seen. And then, there was one. It was different. 

Bucky didn’t really notice it at first among the many others in the sky, but then it grew bigger and bigger. Turned into a blazing sun as it broke through the atmosphere.  _ “Wrong. This is wrong.” _ was all he could think. Over and over, until the asteroid slammed into the water. There was so much steam Bucky could see it rising into the air even as far away as he was. The sky turned an angry red like the atmosphere itself had been set ablaze. It looked like the end of everything.

He didn’t think to flee, even as the tsunami came towards him. The water was boiling around him and he could feel something through his whole body. Like the deaths of all the sea creatures caught in it, the  _ mer _ , was a physical thing. He wanted to scream; to cry out in agony at the loss and at the pain. His scales were peeling and his skin was boiling. Everything hurt and he wanted it to end. It had to stop. He couldn’t take it anymore.  _ It had to stop. _

“Bucky!” Someone was calling for him, shaking him. He jerked, slipping under the surface of soothing cold water. It took him a moment to pull himself back up and he gasped for air, gripping the rocks on the side of the pool like a lifeline. He felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder but he couldn’t get himself to say anything. Couldn’t lift his head from where it was laying on the rocks. He was still panting hard, harder than he ever remembered in his life. 

“Bucky? Are you alright?” It was Pepper again. He twisted his head just slightly, just far enough to look at her. She was still on his left, but was several shades paler than before and her expression was concerned. 

He nodded weakly. She didn’t look reassured and Bucky didn’t blame her. He didn’t feel good. He felt exhausted. He was grateful for the rocks holding him because if they weren’t he’d be shaking.  _ “What was that dream? It had been…” _ Thinking about it, it had felt like the apocalypse. The end of all life. It had been so vivid, felt so  _ real _ . Bucky could still feel the way his body had boiled.

“Bucky.” He jumped at Natasha’s voice and looked at his friend. She looked worried, more than he had ever seen her. 

“Yeah?” He asked and the words felt like sandpaper in his throat. Why did it hurt so bad to talk? He wants to cough and drink a gallon of ice water. And maybe have some ice cream and an entire bag of lozenges. 

“You were screaming.” Natasha informed him. “I… I’ve never heard you scream like that.” Natasha added. Her voice was softer, more concerned than Bucky had ever heard her. She looked scared, unravelled and uncomposed in a way he had never seen her. 

“I’m alright, Tasha. Promise. It was just a nightmare. A really vivid nightmare.” He added under his breath. Whether Natasha had caught his muttered comment or not, Bucky didn’t know, but he did know her expression was still frightened. It wasn’t an expression he liked seeing on her face, not one bit. “I’m fine.” He repeated, more firmly.

Natasha studied him closely before she sighed and nodded. “Okay, Bucky. Just, tell me if that changes, okay?” She insisted and he nodded. 

“Course. Who else would I tell?” Bucky had hoped it could lighten the mood and it brought a flicker of a smile to Natasha’s lips that didn’t seem genuine. 

“Are you sincerely okay, Bucky? You really don’t look good.” Maria asked. Bucky nodded and set his head back down on the rocks. 

“I’m alright. I’m just really worn out. I think I just need to rest.” Bucky promised. She didn’t look convinced. None of them did, but Bucky didn’t know what else to do. The world felt off balance now and there was tension in his chest, like a string someone had pulled taught. Like he was just waiting for everything to come crumbling down around them. 

_ “That dream… could it have been a warning? For what?” _ If it was a warning of something to come, the implications were terrifying. And if it was, he couldn’t help wondering; why him and why now?


	6. Wonderful Distractions

Working in the metal shop on campus was comforting and familiar. It was the only place aside from the Moonpool that Bucky really felt at ease anymore. Here, he was in his element. He knew his craft, appreciated the sounds of everyone working around him, and there was just something in the atmosphere that took the tension out of his spine. His current project was a tricky little ring design he’d come up with that was proving a lot harder in practice than theory. 

Of course, he’d just gotten it right and set the ring to cool when the day ended. The first sign of the forge closing was, as always, the largest furnace turning off. Pretty much everyone paused for a moment when it happened, like they'd all forgotten that the forge was going to close at some point as it did every day. Then it was a busy half hour or so where everyone finished up and put away their materials and projects, shuffling and passing items around as needed. It was a complicated dance that Bucky enjoyed being a part of every time.

Well, kind of. Now he had to be a  _ lot _ more careful about what people were handing him in case it was a drink with condensation or someone’s project that had just been dipped in water. But that had only happened once. As far as the girls knew.

Bucky had just set aside the ring when an arm suddenly draped itself over his shoulders. Bucky visibly jumped and Tony Stark pulled back to eye him with confusion as this had been Tony’s habit since they had met in this particular forge more than four years ago. “You okay there, Buckaroo?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just had a weird dream. Left me feeling a bit off all day.” Bucky offered. It wasn’t a lie either. It had been five days since the full moon and every night he had relived the nightmare of the asteroid colliding with the planet and boiling him alive in the ocean. It left him restless and unable to sleep. It was no doubt starting to show on his face too.

Tony studied him for a moment then pulled him along towards the exit. Tony didn’t even have to make a stop for him to pick up his bag since he still hadn’t gotten it back from Steve. Or seen him. Or talked to him. He sighed under his breath and Tony gave him another look. “Alright, what’s going on?”

“I…” He started, only to falter. “Did Pepper tell you about the date I had?” Bucky asked.

“No! You had a date? With who? When? Tell me everything and I want details!” Tony demanded, though his excitement was nice. Bucky chuckled a little. 

“Yeah, five days ago. His name is Steve. It was going really great and I really like him…” Bucky swallowed hard and Tony frowned. 

“That was the full moon, wasn’t it? You forgot about your 'girls night' and had to leave early, didn’t you? I still don't understand how you get an invite to that and I don’t.” Tony was actually pouting as he spoke, not that Bucky was all that surprised. 

“You know Clint isn’t allowed either.” Bucky reminded and Tony eyed him. 

“Is it because you’re gay? It’s because you’re gay, isn’t it?” Tony asked and Bucky could only laugh. Trust Tony to cheer him up without meaning to. They stepped out into the sunlight together, Tony still grumbling under his breath while Bucky gave a cursory glance around, as had become his habit after one too many close calls with sprinklers.

Only to freeze when he saw none other than  _ Steve _ standing just down the walkway, searching the faces of the people leaving the metal shop.

Steve looked out of place and awkward standing by himself a few yards away from the building’s entrance, bulky and mature in a way most of the college students around him weren't, but all Bucky could think was that he looked adorable like that. Steve brightened up when their eyes met and he waved, only for his expression to falter slightly when he noticed Tony. But Bucky was already pulling away from his friend to speak to Steve. 

"Steve!" Bucky hurried up to him, a smile of his own in place, and checked himself just in time before he pulled Steve in a hug, though it left his hands awkwardly stretched out for a moment. So he tried to cover it up as he stuck his hands in his pockets by saying "Hi. I didn't expect to see you. What are you doing here?" 

"Uh…" Steve was running the back of his neck while his cheeks started to go red. "Well, you left your stuff at the restaurant so I bugged Sam into telling me where I could find you so I could return it. Here!" Steve quickly held out of the two backpacks Bucky realized he had on, one of which was indeed his.

The burst of warmth in his chest surprised him as Bucky gently took his backpack back. “Thank you. I... I’m really sorry. For ducking out like I did. I really was having a good time, but we have a long standing tradition on full moons and I may have overreacted a bit when the girls called me out on not showing up. If you ever meet Natasha, you’ll understand why.” Bucky added jokingly, which thankfully brought a smile to Steve’s face.

“I’ll admit, it hurt. But given the way you fled I figured it was more likely an emergency of some kind.” Steve said. 

“I know, and it really wasn't and I feel terrible. Will you let me make it up to you some time?” Bucky asked cautiously, with no small amount of hope. Steve hesitated, which made Bucky’s heart sink, before finally the blond sighed. 

“I don’t know if I should, but I can’t ignore how nice the rest of the day was. So yes. I’ll let you make it up to me.” Steve finally said, a cautious smile on his face, and Bucky couldn’t help the way he smiled back. It even brought a blush to Steve’s cheeks.

“Thank you. Uh, are you free right now? I just finished my workshop so I’m free for the rest of today.” Bucky's heart was no longer in his chest; it was floating in the clouds and he was aware Tony would tease him for the rest of time about the look he was giving Steve, but Bucky couldn't bring himself to care. Steve was giving him another chance and Bucky was  _ not _ about to give that up.

“Uh, kind of? I planned to go diving this afternoon with Sam. But you could join us? Since you mentioned you like to dive?” Steve asked. He looked so excited but as much as Bucky wanted to, he couldn't risk exposing himself just yet. But saying no would hurt Steve…

Almost before he’d finished that thought there were words coming from his mouth. “Uh, well, actually my gear is getting repaired right now. But I can come and act as supervisor, if you want?” He offered and thankfully Steve didn’t look upset.

A little disappointed, certainly, which was confirmed when Steve said “That’s a shame, but I’d love to have you along anyway.”

“When did you plan to head out?” Bucky asked. 

Steve glanced at his watch and then rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “Uh, like half an hour? But I’m definitely going to be late.” Steve admitted and Bucky laughed. 

“Well, if you’ve got a ride and are willing to be a few minutes later so I can grab my wetsuit, I’d love to go out with you guys.” Bucky said.

“I’ve got my bike, if that’ll do.” Steve offered, with a hint of sultriness in his voice and Bucky nodded eagerly. 

“That’ll do.” He replied, ending it with an accidental lip bite at the thought of getting to sit close and wrap his arms around Steve as they rode to his house. “Lead the way.” He added and Steve surprised him when he held out a hand. Bucky eagerly took it, lacing their fingers together (and internally squealing when Steve gave him a light squeeze in response) and it wasn’t until they were a good fifteen feet away before that he remembered Tony. 

He glanced back and had to fight laughter at Tony’s expression. He was standing exactly where he’d been during their whole exchange, jaw hanging open. Bucky winked at him, which finally made Tony close his mouth and whip out his phone. Bucky actually rolled his eyes as Tony held it up and no doubt took a picture of him and Steve, but he was about to spend an afternoon with the gorgeous blond currently holding his hand so if Tony wanted to gossip with the girls Bucky was fine with letting him.


	7. The Shovel Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is pretty sure he's about to get The Shovel Talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all need to thank emw21 and fantasylover4evr for inspiring me to write this chapter (and the next couple).

Sam Wilson looked less than pleased when he and Steve pulled up on Steve’s motorcycle next to the reasonably sized boat on which he was standing. “Seriously, Steve? How are you always so late?” Were Sam’s first words to them.

“Sorry, Sam! Had to pick up Bucky’s wetsuit. He’s not diving, but he wanted to come out with us.” Steve sounded so excited by the prospect, even Sam couldn’t stand up to it as his posture softened and he sighed. 

“Fine, fine. Let’s get going before we lose any more light.” Sam insisted. Bucky quickly got off the motorcycle, followed closely by Steve. Steve got on the boat first and warmth spread through to Bucky's toes when Steve held out a hand to help him aboard. Not that Bucky really  _ needed _ it, but he appreciated the gesture immensely. Especially when the glimpse of water between the deck and boat had his stomach sinking. 

Of course Steve noticed and asked a quiet “You okay?”

Bucky quickly nodded and put on a smile. “Yep. Just been a while since I was on anything bigger than a rowboat. That’s a bit of a way to fall.” 

“How long has your gear been in the shop?” Steve returned, cautiously playful, and Bucky could tell the captain was deliberately moving on from his hesitation. Abruptly Bucky remembered the lie he’d told Steve as to why he couldn’t dive with them today.

He tried a nervous laugh that sounded fake but Steve seemed to believe him. “A while. I may have forgotten to pick it up.” Bucky offered weakly and thankfully Steve just laughed as well, shaking his head with a fond smile that Bucky was growing to adore. Bucky didn’t even notice as the boat started to move aside from Steve pulling him over to one of the bench seats on the side of the boat. Which was unfortunately wet. 

“Seriously, Buck, make sure you pick it up so next time you can come with us.” Steve was saying and Bucky used his distraction to quickly heat-dry the seat. Even with his wetsuit on, he wasn't willing to risk that. He sat down on the now thankfully dry seat and Steve sat down next to him, close enough Bucky could feel the warmth from his arm and Bucky would happily spend the rest of his life pressed this close to Steve. Even more so when Steve laced their fingers together again and Bucky all but melted against him. 

"For sure." Bucky agreed with a happy sigh and it only hit him after he spoke what he'd just agreed to. But even the trouble he’d gotten himself into and now had to talk himself out (later) couldn't put a damper on his mood.

Steve continued to beam at him for a moment then his expression furrowed. Bucky waited while Steve seemed to debate saying something and it was only after Bucky gave his hand a gentle squeeze that Steve finally spoke. "So, this might be none of my business, but that guy you were with at the school…" Steve began and Bucky couldn't quite stop the singular laugh that came out of his mouth at what Steve was implying.

"Who, Tony? He's a friend and we share a metal shop class, but probably the last person I'd date even if he was gay. As it is, he's straight and very happily in a long-term relationship with another good friend of mine named Pepper." Bucky explained and Steve visibly relaxed, his smile returning to the brilliance it had been before. 

“Sorry, I know that’s not really my place and you aren’t my boyfriend…” Steve started saying but Bucky shook his head. 

“No, no. Don’t apologize; I get it. I’d be jealous if I saw the guy I was dating with another guy’s arm around him, even if he wasn’t my boyfriend.” Bucky assured and Steve’s smile turned grateful. “So, I’ll make you a promise. While we’re dating, whether we’re official or not, I won’t be going on a date with anyone else. I really,  _ really _ like you Steve.”

Steve shifted and, to Bucky’s surprise, wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “I like you too, Buck, and I make you the same promise.” Steve assured and Bucky pressed against him. 

“Thanks, Steve.” Bucky answered. “Although, if we are already going to be monogamous maybe we should just jump right to boyfriends?” Bucky offered.

“Smooth, Buck. Smooth. But you know what?” Steve leaned in close and Bucky had to bite his lip to keep from making a noise when Steve whispered “I’d really like that.” in a low murmur in his ear that sent a thrill down his spine. Bucky turned to face Steve, wanting to give him a quick kiss (or maybe a not so quick one) when they were interrupted.

“Hey! No PDA on my deck! I’ve already seen more than enough naked men for a lifetime. You two are not adding any more.” Sam demanded from his place behind the wheel and Steve pulled back minutely, his whole face up to his ears turning a bright red and Bucky was almost shaking trying to hold in his laughter. 

“Sorry Sam!” Steve called back and Bucky buried his face into Steve’s shoulder, still fighting not to laugh. Steve squeezed his hand and Bucky took a few breaths before he finally raised his head from Steve’s shoulder. 

“Sorry Sam!” He echoed without looking at the man and he could not only hear but feel Steve chuckling next to him. Bucky was pretty sure he heard Sam mumbled something rude about them but decided to ignore it in favor of Steve. “So, is there anything we need to do now?” Bucky asked and Steve shook his head. 

“Nah, Sam keeps all the equipment in good condition. We’ll look it over again once we get to the site but for now we can just relax.” Steve explained and Bucky nodded before he leaned harder than necessary against Steve. The blond chuckled and let go of his hand only to wrap his arm around Bucky’s shoulders. 

It was nice, warm and comfortable and Bucky sighed softly as he relaxed into Steve’s touch. Out of nowhere Steve kissed his head and Bucky smiled to himself. He felt safe, properly safe and at peace in a way he probably never had, and certainly hadn’t since the full moon. Sitting like this with Steve, Bucky wanted to sleep and even found himself nodding off. 

Steve’s hand ran through his hair gently and it was the icing on the cake. He was going to fall asleep right here and didn’t really care. “You okay, Buck?” Steve asked softly and Bucky nodded limply, his eyes still closed. 

“Bit tired. Haven’t been sleeping well lately.” Bucky admitted.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked and Bucky smiled to himself because of course the captain would be concerned about him. 

To his own surprise Bucky admitted “Just nightmares.” He pointedly didn’t mention it was just the one nightmare in particular; never exactly the same but always him swimming in a vast ocean, the asteroid hitting the earth, and everything boiling. Himself included.

Steve huffed and it sounded sad. Bucky didn’t like hearing Steve sound like that. “Nightmares I understand. Go ahead and rest, Bucky. I’ll wake you when we get there.” Steve shifted so he was resting more secure against the blond. 

“You sure?” Bucky asked sleepily and Steve chuckled. 

“This isn’t quite how I expected us to spend our first night together, but yeah. If you need sleep and I make you feel safe then rest.” Steve insisted. Bucky laughed.

“I promise to make it up to you in the future.” He mumbled and Steve chuckled again. He was still stroking Bucky’s hair and while Bucky didn’t fall completely asleep, he was definitely close enough to it that he lost time. If asked, all he’d be able to recall about the trip was Steve’s warmth under his cheek, his scent mixed with that of sea water, and Steve’s strong but gentle touch around his shoulder and in his hair.

When Bucky came back to awareness it was to a lack of noise. He could hear the ocean, of course, but the boat engine was off. He was also laying on the seat now and someone was gently shaking his shoulder. When he opened his eyes it wasn’t Steve waking him; it was Sam. Bucky sat up feeling slightly off kilter, but not in a bad way as he blinked dumbly at Sam. “Steve?” He asked, stifling a yawn, and Sam smiled. 

“Getting suited up. I wanted to talk to you. Without him.” Sam said and Bucky swallowed before he nodded. 

“Shovel talk?” Bucky offered and Sam half shrugged. 

“Do I need to?” Sam asked and Bucky shook his head. “Good. I think so too. I may not know you very well, but you seem like a good person and everyone else seems to like you. I just wanted to say this; Steve may seem like he has it all together and believe me, I’m proud of how far he’s come. But every soldier has ghosts. Are you prepared for that?”

Bucky didn’t want to do any of them a disservice by answering immediately. So he considered Sam seriously and took a breath, then let it out. “I know it won’t always be easy. I’m not expecting that. But I care about him and I’m willing to try.” Bucky finally stated. 

Sam considered him for a few moments then nodded. “Okay. I believe you. Here. If you ever need advice you can contact me, and if you do want someone to talk to I know a lot of good therapists I can recommend. I’d offer to do it myself, but I’m personally involved so ethically it's not really allowed.” Sam added as he held out a business card. 

Bucky took it and quickly slipped it into his phone case. “Thanks, Sam.” He said and the man nodded, a smile flickering on his lips. 

"You'll be good for him, Barnes. I can already tell." Sam said and that made Bucky smile. 

"You can call me Bucky." He offered and Sam's smile grew. 

"Sam, are you trying to steal my boyfriend or scare him off?" Steve suddenly called, making Bucky jump. He didn't know how Sam didn't. "Because I happen to quite like him." Steve added.

Sam started snickering and Bucky quickly cut in. "Aw, Steve, I'm touched. I quite like you too." He spoke dramatically, even put his hands over his heart, and Sam's snickering turned into a full blown laugh. Bucky couldn't help smiling and Steve was smiling too. 

"Weren't you the one complaining about losing daylight, Sam? Go get suited up." Steve reminded.

Sam walked off calling "Not my CO, Steve!" before he slipped below deck and out of sight. Steve watched him go with a fond expression and shake of his head while Bucky only had eyes for Steve.

He looked so  _ good _ in a wetsuit and carried the weight of his gear like it was nothing. Bucky stood and Steve grew very still when Bucky started tracing his fingers over the vest. "You look good, Steve." Bucky finally offered and Steve's smile was radiant. 

"I hope so. This stuff wasn't cheap or easy to find. But hey, how are you feeling? Any better?" Steve asked, concerned once again and Bucky just smiled to himself without looking up for a few moments.

"Much. I needed that." He admitted and Steve reached for him. Slowly enough Bucky could push him away if he wanted, which Bucky really didn't want, Steve enveloped him in a hug. Instantly Bucky relaxed into it and huffed him back; being here it was warmth and safety and  _ home _ . "Thank you, Steve."

"Any time, Bucky. And I really do mean that. If you  _ ever _ need me..." Steve answered softly and Bucky nodded because he believed it. If he needed Steve it wouldn't matter to the captain what time of day or what he needed; Steve would help. 

Finally but far too soon, Steve pulled back and brushed a few stray hairs from Bucky's face. "I hope Sam wasn't bothering you, by the way. He can be a bit of a… well, a mother hen."

Bucky couldn't help it; he burst out laughing just as Sam came up and called out an indignant "Hey! Rude, and after all I do for you." 

"It's true, Sam! It's not a bad thing." Steve answered defensively and Sam huffed as he moved over to the side of the boat.

"Oh, come on already. Let's just go. I know you're dying to impress your new beau with your sweet skillz." Sam answered, his accent altered slightly to emphasize the 'Z' and Steve balked. 

"Sam Wilson, I would n-"

Simultaneously Bucky and Sam cut him off saying "yes, you would".

"I don't have to listen to this." Steve huffed, pulled on his mask over his frankly adorable pout, and with an indignant sulk dropped off the side of the boat. Bucky was still quietly laughing and Sam winked at him before he followed Steve. 

Bucky quickly rushed over to the side. Both men were floating on the surface doing some last checks and he called "hey! Be safe down there." 

"I'll bring you something for your next jewelry piece." Steve promised with a bright smile. 

Thankfully the two quickly dove as Bucky barely held back saying  _ "Oh, I can think of one thing that'd go excellent with a ring." _ He knew it was too soon, way too soon, to say aloud but still he couldn't help the way his mind wandered to what kind of ring would best suit Steve.


	8. Why Not?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky's friends have a very important question to ask him.

No matter what the girls said about the pleasures of racing and doing tricks, Bucky preferred swimming lazily. Enjoying the ebb and flow of the tide, following whatever creature or object caught his eye. And the reefs were always stunning. It was a whole other world, but also not dissimilar from the hustle of a big city. Though it was certainly much quieter.

 _"Well, most of the time."_ Bucky thought as a fairly large boat came closer and closer. The engine was obnoxiously loud and Bucky glared at it for disturbing what had so far been a lovely, peaceful day. 

When it started slowing down, Bucky ducked lower to hide in the coral and rock. There had been boats in the area before, but they usually didn't stop and very few came so close to the Moon Pool. It wasn't cause for concern on its own, but still. It didn't quite sit right with him. 

When the boat dropped its anchor Bucky pushed away from the rock and swam away in a flurry of bubbles to the Moon Pool. The girls were all there, unsurprisingly, and Bucky claimed a spot on the rock wall next to Natasha. 

"There you are. What, did you get lost?" Maria asked playfully and Bucky flicked water at her.

"No. I was taking my time. And good thing too; I saw a boat." Bucky informed them.

"Wow, you saw a boat on the ocean, Barnes. You're a master of unusual sights." Natasha said and Bucky flicked water at her too. 

"Come on, be serious. It wasn't some little speed or row boat and it was near the island, near the Moon Pool, and it wasn’t just passing overhead. It dropped anchor. Maybe it's nothing, but if it keeps coming back we may have to do something." Bucky warned. 

"We'll all be careful the next few days and if it does come back, then we'll do something about it." Pepper agreed and Bucky nodded. Immediately the mood shifted as Pepper studied him closer. "Now, Bucky…" 

Bucky didn't trust Pepper's tone in the slightest and almost pushed himself off the wall to swim away when Natasha and Maria grabbed his arms. "Oh no you don't. You've been avoiding us for two weeks and it's time to spill." Maria demanded and Bucky groaned. 

"Come on, do we have to?" Bucky could admit to himself he might be whining but he'd never ever admit it to anyone else.

"Yes! Tell us about Steve!" Pepper insisted and he groaned again. 

"Fine, if you don't want to tell us…" Natasha abruptly pulled his phone from him and Bucky squawked. Natasha apparently knew his passcode because the lock screen didn't even make her pause. "I'll just have to get his number and invite him to dinner tomorrow myself."

Bucky made a half hearted attempt to get his phone. "Nat, give it back." He insisted. 

The red head eyed him, keeping his phone out of reach, and then asked "are you going to invite him if I give it back?" 

"Well not right this second." Bucky objected and Pepper made a noise. 

"Bucky, if you don't do it now you'll talk yourself out of it." She stated. 

"Yeah, we just want to meet your boyfriend. That's all." Maria insisted and Bucky glared at the three of them. None of them were remotely phased and Bucky made a tactical decision to retreat. He snatched his phone from Natasha and bolted.

* * *

"Bucky!" Bucky looked up from his book as Clint dropped into the unoccupied seat at his table. 

"Hey, Clint." Bucky marked his spot and put the book aside. Clint had a cup of coffee with him, unsurprisingly given they were at the café where his friend worked, and carefully kept it far away from Bucky. Bucky had decided to sit outside today, to eat his pastries and read, but Clint always came to bug him on breaks when he was here.

"How's that Danish? I tried a new filling today." Clint said and Bucky nodded.

"I know. Orange marmalade was a good choice." Bucky promised and he meant it. Of course, all of Clint's pastries were great so that shouldn't have come as a surprise to his friend. 

Clint still beamed though. "Good. I'm glad you like it. I'll have to bring some with me tomorrow, see what the girls think. If nothing else, I can always count on Tony to be honest." 

"Hey! I'm being honest. It's great, Clint. Your pastries always are." Bucky insisted and his friend's smile softened. 

"Thanks, Bucky. But, more importantly, I'll have to find out what Steve thinks of them." Clint was a jerk because he'd waited until Bucky had taken a careful drink from his water bottle and was in the process of swallowing it to speak. So of course Bucky choked and it was a near thing that he didn't cough any of it up. 

After coughing and panting for a minute, Clint laughing at him in the background, Bucky glared and asked "Did the girls put you up to this?"

"They may have mentioned you haven't invited Steve yet. But seriously, why not?" Clint insisted.

"Because we've only been dating for three weeks!" Bucky insisted and Clint rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Three weeks and none of us have even _seen_ the guy besides Tony. If it weren't for how starry eyed you get every time he texted I'd wonder if he was even real." Clint said. 

"Seriously, I just… I really like him, Clint. And I don't want to make him uncomfortable." Bucky offered and Clint's whole body softened a little. 

"Come on, Bucky. He's a grown man. Just inviting him isn't going to make him uncomfortable and don't you think he should get to make the decision to come or not for himself?" Clint reminded and Bucky sighed because of course Clint was right. 

Before he could answer, Bucky's phone started buzzing. "Oh shoot, I've got to go to class. See you, Clint." Bucky quickly gathered up his stuff and started off. 

"Don't forget what I said!" Clint called at his back and Bucky waved to show he heard him. It wasn't that he didn't want to invite Steve, but meeting the friends was only a step down from meeting family and if either side didn't like the other Bucky wasn't sure what he'd do.

* * *

"So…" Bucky just barely held back a groan as Tony almost appeared leaning against Bucky's work table as he snacked on something (it looked like it might be dried blueberries, but you never knew with Tony; it could just as easily be something Bucky had never even heard of from Australia). 

"Your turn?" Bucky asked dryly, returning his attention to the metal in front of him. As promised Steve had brought him back something from that first dive and from every dive he'd done since. The latest was a tooth of some kind, a shark's more likely than not given its size and pointiness, and Bucky was turning it into a necklace he _planned_ to give to Steve tonight if he could get it finished in time.

"My turn to what?" Tony asked and Bucky didn't buy his innocent act for a second.

“Your turn to convince me to invite Steve to tomorrow.” Bucky stated and Tony gasped in shock, but it was a little too exaggerated to be real. 

“You haven’t invited him yet?” Tony asked in mock shock and Bucky rolled his eyes. Thankfully Tony seemed to pick up he was annoyed and his posture softened. His “Come on, why not?” was surprisingly gentle. 

“It’s too soon.” Bucky said and Tony raised an eyebrow. 

“You two became a couple after one meeting and one date, both of which you basically abandoned him during. That’s not it.” Tony countered and Bucky swallowed. 

“Fine. The whole truth? I’m scared. I’m scared he won’t get along with you guys or you won’t like him and then I don’t know what I’ll do because I don’t want to give up either of you.” Bucky admitted as he set aside his project to look Tony in the eye. Tony nodded, looking slightly unsure of himself as he considered. 

“Well… feelings… aren’t really my area of expertise. But you know we really like you, right? And that means we want you to be happy. Steve seems to make you happy. And if Steve really likes you and wants you to be happy like we do then believe we’ll all be putting in an effort to at least try because that’s what will make _you_ happy.” Tony offered. 

Bucky considered his words, nodding to himself. It didn’t fully get rid of the fear in his chest, but it eased it. “Thanks, Tony.” Bucky finally said and Tony patted him on the shoulder. 

“Now, I _have_ to know, are all those muscles real?” Tony asked and Bucky groaned, but there was a smile on his lips.

* * *

Today was a big deal. Bigger than Bucky had mentioned to any of his friends because today was the day he was visiting Steve’s place for the first time. To say he was nervous was an understatement as he stood outside the door. Bucky took a deep breath, decided he’d been standing out here for an embarrassingly long time already, and knocked.

Steve opened the door right away and the brilliant smile on his face melted Bucky’s heart a little and he dopily smiled back. “Hey. Right on time. Come in.” Steve quickly moved back and Bucky stepped inside. 

It was nice; comfortably furnished and decorated beautifully. The most stunning was the paintings on the walls that Bucky was nearly certain Steve had painted himself. Bucky found himself drawn to an abstract one made up of red, white, blue, and black that despite the patriotic colors felt more like a battlefield. Which made sense given Steve’s history. Bucky felt when Steve stepped up close behind him and when Bucky leaned against him the captain wrapped his arms around him. 

“This is stunning, Steve.” Bucky said softly and Steve squeezed him gently. 

“It’s the one I painted after my first firefight. I used to hate it. All I could see was the red and black, bullets and blood. But now… now I see more of the blue and white and I think I get why I painted it like that.” Steve offered. Bucky swallowed hard and turned away from the painting before wrapping his arms around Steve. 

“Can I take a guess?” Bucky asked gently and Steve nodded. “Peace and happiness?”

Steve chuckled and nodded. “Something like that. It’s why I like running at the beach; the ocean reminds me that I’m safe.” Bucky tried to say something, but found himself mouthing nothing as there was nothing he could say. Finally he grabbed Steve and pulled him into a tight hug, one that Steve returned. 

“Tell me if there is ever anything I can do, okay?” Bucky requested softly and Steve squeezed him. Bucky squeezed him back.

“Thanks, Buck.” Steve answered and for a moment they stood there holding each other. Finally Steve pulled back and smiled at him. “I don’t know about you but I’m hungry.” Steve said and Bucky laughed. 

“Sounds good. Are we ordering or are you cooking?” Bucky asked and Steve’s laugh was embarrassed. 

“I’m an awful cook. You don’t want to eat anything I’ve made.” He said and Bucky gave him a look that was definitely softened by the smirk on his lips. 

“Well then. I’ll just have to teach you. But not today.” Bucky insisted and Steve laughed as he reached for his phone. They spent a few minutes debating where and what to eat before placing the order and then Steve tugged Bucky over to the couch. He happily nestled into Steve’s side as they settled on the couch and abruptly he remembered the necklace in his pocket. “Oh, I have something for you.”

Steve shifted to face him and his expression was so similar to that of a puppy that Bucky almost laughed. Bucky pulled out the gift out and set it in Steve’s hand. “Wow. Is this the tooth I found?” Steve asked as he held up the necklace by the leather strap. The tooth itself had been inlaid with thin intricate titanium lines that led to a loop off the top through which the strap hung. 

“Yeah. Do you like it?” Bucky asked and Steve nodded. 

“God, Bucky, it’s beautiful. How did you get such delicate lines?” Steve sounded so amazed and Bucky chuckled, feeling embarrassed. 

“Uh, have you ever seen how they make mass swords in movies? Pouring them into molds? It was like that, but a lot… smaller.” Bucky said and Steve finally looked away from the tooth to meet Bucky’s eye. He looked awed and Bucky couldn’t help feeling a little bit proud to be the cause of that. 

“And you call my paintings amazing. The detail in this is stunning, Buck.” Steve said and Bucky was definitely blushing this time. Steve leaned forward and kissed his cheek, which made Bucky blush harder, and then Steve put on the necklace. 

Bucky could only smile and Steve spent a moment fiddling with it. “I don’t usually wear jewelry. How does it look?” He looked embarrassed and it was so adorable. 

“Great.” Bucky mumbled dumbly and Steve smiled at that. 

“Good. Thank you, Bucky.” Steve said and Bucky could only nod.

It was hard to swallow around the knot in his throat and abruptly he blurted out “Do you want to come to dinner with me tomorrow and meet all my friends?”

Steve just blinked at him for a moment then nodded. “I’d love to.” Bucky practically melted into the couch at that and Steve’s expression turned concerned. “Are you okay?”

“No. My spine no longer works.” Bucky muttered and Steve raised an eyebrow. “You have no idea how stressed I‘ve been about asking you that.” Steve, the punk, started laughing and Bucky slunk further down into the couch. 

“Why? You’ve already met Sam, who’s my only friend. It’s only fair I get to meet yours.” Steve said and Bucky groaned for the umpteenth time today. 

“Please, do not ever tell any of them you said that. They will tease me mercilessly until the end of time after all the complaining I did today.” Bucky requested and Steve kissed his head. 

“I make no promises.” Steve insisted and Bucky groaned again.


	9. Game Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve meets Bucky's friends for the first time on game night.

It had been a tradition ever since their friend group had gotten together, to gather at some location at least once a month and spend an evening drinking, playing games, and so on. It had grown in size as every new addition became a part of the fold until now there were anywhere from seven to ten attendees, depending on who was in town. 

Tonight Tony was hosting, which wasn’t uncommon since he had the biggest apartment and money for alcohol and a love of parties. Bucky was waiting just outside the entrance to the apartment building instead of upstairs with everyone else for two reasons; officially he was waiting on Steve to let him through security, but also because his nerves were back full force. He really didn’t want anyone to hate each other. 

He wasn’t sure if he was a good sign or not that he knew Steve’s motorcycle by the sound alone and it only took him a few seconds to pick Steve out among the other drivers on the road. That alone was enough to put a smile on Bucky’s face, one that only grew when Steve pulled up in front of him. Steve flipped up his helmet visor and said “what’s a guy like you doing in a place like this?”

Bucky had to bite back a chuckle, shifted to a more casual pose before he answered. “Just waiting on my boyfriend.”

“Yeah?” Steve had dressed to impress and looked so good as he leaned forward on the handlebars that Bucky’s mouth watered. “He treat you right?” 

“Absolutely.” Bucky answered and that broke Steve’s smirk into a warm smile. 

“Good to know.” Steve replied softly and warmth flooded Bucky’s chest at that tone. He quickly stepped forward and gave Steve a peck on the mouth. When he pulled back they shared a soft smile. “Hi, Buck.”

“Hi, Steve.” Bucky answered. “Here, I’ll show you where to park.” Bucky said before he mounted the bike behind his boyfriend. Another sign they might be spending too much time together was that Steve didn’t even wobble, but Bucky didn’t care as he settled in behind Steve and wrapped his arms around the man. This was one of his favorite places to be.

He tapped with his left hand telling Steve to pull back into traffic, which the blonde did smoothly. Bucky guided him around to the side of the building with taps since he wasn’t wearing a helmet (and he didn’t fail to notice Steve was definitely being more careful than usual, not that they were going far) and to the disguised entrance that opened when Bucky waved his Stark watch at it. Tony had a habit of giving them to all his friends.

Steve took hold of and squeezed his raised hand, lacing their fingers together briefly before he let go to drive into the garage. It looked completely different from the street outside, expensive, sleek, and modern. There were four very expensive sports cars (all Tony’s) as well as the ones belonging to Bucky’s friends who had joined them for tonight. Steve parked and Bucky got off first, but his boyfriend was quick to follow. Bucky smiled as Steve approached him. Bucky kept backing up until he hit the wall, but Steve kept coming until they were practically chest to chest. 

“Cornered you.” Steve said and Bucky looked him up and down. 

“So you did. What are you going to do now that you have?” Bucky asked. Steve hummed and one of his hands came to rest on Bucky’s hip while the other landed on his face. Bucky leaned into the touch and then Steve kissed him, properly this time and Bucky melted into it. He grabbed Steve’s hips and pulled him closer. 

When Steve finally pulled back Bucky was leaning on the wall for support and even with his eyes closed he just knew they both had dopey smiles. Not that Steve pulled back far; their foreheads were pressed together as they breathed basically as one. Bucky hummed and kissed Steve again briefly before he pulled back. “I don’t know if I should be glad or upset you did that now when we’re supposed to be heading upstairs.” Bucky said and Steve laughed. 

“Can I promise a raincheck? I really want to meet your friends.” Steve countered and Bucky chuckled to himself. 

“Yeah, we should probably head up before Tony does something to embarrass us.” Bucky nodded, as reluctant as he was to leave. Steve stepped back and Bucky took a moment to catch his breath before he grabbed Steve’s hand and pulled him along to the elevator, which opened automatically for them. The elevator was too fast to allow conversation even though it carried them all the way to the penthouse. The door opened to the entryway and already Bucky could hear music and laughter coming from the living room. 

“Uh, I just realized I never asked who’s apartment this is.” Steve mumbled, sounding a bit awed and Bucky could sympathize. Even the hallway was so modern and expensive it seemed like the kind of thing you’d only see in a movie. It still hit him sometimes, that  _ somehow _ he was close enough friends with someone like Tony Stark to visit his apartment on a regular basis. 

“Tony’s. He’s a Stark.” Bucky added and Steve’s eyes widened. 

“Seriously? So is this his parents or…?” Steve asked. 

“No, it’s his. Bought with his money after he invented the arch reactor.” Bucky explained. It had been a big deal when it had happened. It was before Bucky had gotten his tail, only a few months after the pair had met in the metal shop on campus, and until the reactor had been announced publicly Bucky hadn’t even known Tony’s last name.

In fact it wasn’t even until Bucky came to campus the next day and saw Tony getting swarmed by people on campus, and in particular in the metal shop, that he even connected the two. He’d stayed back, old insecurities coming to play and made him certain Tony wouldn’t want anything to do with him. To his surprise, Tony immediately abandoned everyone else and jumped onto the workstation next to him.

When Bucky had given him a confused expression Tony had just shrugged and declared “they don’t care about me, just the money. And you were my friend first.” They’d been friends ever since and more than once Bucky had helped Tony escape from his ‘adoring’ fans. He’d quickly been enveloped by Bucky’s friends and shortly after they’d started these get-togethers. 

“Oh, I remember hearing about that after the fact. I was on assignment at the time so I didn’t hear about it right away.” Steve said and Bucky nodded. 

“Yeah, well, it was a big deal for pretty much everyone but not so much for Tony. He’s always cared more about the inventing than the money, no matter what the tabloids say.” Bucky said, only to be interrupted by Tony shouting “are you slandering my hard earned reputation as a playboy, Barnes? How dare you!”

“It’s not slander if it’s true, Anthony!” Bucky shouted back as they finally entered the stunning, not to mention enormous, living room. Though ‘living room’ didn’t seem like the right term given that it was two stories, larger than some houses, and encompassed everything someone could want from an entertainment center, bar, living room, and man cave.

Steve was standing there gaping until Bucky elbowed him in the ribs and he quickly straightened up. “Everyone, meet my boyfriend Steve Rogers. Steve, this is basically all my friends; Tony Stark, his girlfriend Pepper Pots, Bruce Banner, Marie Hill, Clint Barton, and Natasha Romanoff. There’s a couple more who aren’t here, but these are all the regulars.” Bucky quickly introduced and Steve gave everyone a smile. 

“It’s nice to meet you all.” He said.

Natasha sounded distinctly predatory as she almost purred “And it’s so nice to finally meet you, Steve. We've heard so much. Now come sit.” Steve glanced at Bucky worriedly and Bucky had to push down a little bit of concern himself at Natasha's subtle warning at him for taking so long, but he gave Steve a smile.

“Go sit. I’ll grab you some food and a drink.” He encouraged. Steve nodded, kissed his cheek, then went to go join the others on the frankly oversized crescent couch that made up the main part of the living room. Bucky watched him, ignoring the heat that had risen in his cheeks at that sweet kiss, until Steve had taken a seat then slipped out of the room into the kitchen. 

Just like everything else in the apartment it was sleek and modern, far larger than Tony needed by himself but Bucky knew better than anyone besides maybe Pepper how lonely Tony could get. It was the reason he invited people over so regularly and why the kitchen was so big, so he could host them all. Tony would probably have them all move in with him if he could and that thought made Bucky smile to himself. 

At the moment the kitchen counters were laden with food and drinks of all kinds, as they always were for these events. Bucky made up two plates, trying not to rush too much or take his time, and headed back into the living room. His friends were deep into interrogating Steve but the blond didn’t seem out of place among them or uncomfortable. He even got them all to laugh at whatever he was saying. 

Bucky held back for a moment just observing them and maybe had to acknowledge that he had been overly worried about this. Okay, way too overly worried about this. Steve fit like he was always supposed to be here and Bucky was already thinking that next time he should invite Wilson along too. The more the merrier as Tony always said. 

When Bucky finally pushed himself off the wall and moved to sit by Steve everyone automatically shuffled to make room and Steve’s smile was blinding. “Thanks.” He said as he took the offered plate and Bucky dropped into the seat next to him. Only to realize the moment he’d sat down that he forgot drinks and groaned. 

“I forgot your beer.” Bucky groaned and Bucky got laughed at in surround sound. Someone pat his shoulder, but since Bucky had his face buried in his hands he couldn't see who.

“There, there.” It was Natasha mocking him, of course. 

“Hey, Buck. I’ll be nice and go get you guys some since I want more myself.” Clint offered. Bucky felt someone shifting, Clint getting up probably, and finally looked up. 

“Thanks, Clint. You’re a true friend.” He said and the man gave him a smile before he vaulted over the couch. 

There was a beat before Tony said “Alright. Now that everyone’s here, what do we want to do? We’ve got movies, video games, board games, drinking games, music and dancing… any takers? Anyone?"

"Steve? You're the guest of honor. What do you want to do?" Maria asked. 

"Uh, I’m not picky. Really. Whatever is fine.” Steve muttered, which got him looks from everyone. “I mean, I guess video games seem fun? I haven’t played in a while.” Steve offered.

“Video games it is. Jarvis?” Tony called and the wall of windows in front of the couches darkened with the exception of a couple in the middle that pulled up Tony’s motion tracked video game menu. It was all built around a system he’d developed himself and functioned kind of like an Xbox Kinetic, but much better. It was one of Bucky’s favorite things to play on.

“Wow.” Steve muttered and Bucky chuckled. 

“I know, right? JARVIS is Tony’s AI, by the way; he runs basically everything electronic of Tony’s, including our phones. If you were wondering.” Bucky explained quietly as everyone else started arguing over what to play.

Bucky jumped a little when two beers were abruptly held out from behind the couch between them and he gave Clint a glare. His friend just smiled at him knowingly. Steve and Bucky each took their own, saying “thanks” at the same time. It only took a few moments for Bucky to realize that had been a mistake. He almost broke the bottle in his rush to set it down on the coffee table and wiped his hand on the nearest blanket. Thankfully it was just some condensation and the blanket was more than enough to dry it off, but it sent his heart racing nonetheless.

He got a few funny looks from those unaware of the situation but offered an “didn’t expect it to be wet” as casually as he could. When he glanced at Clint his friend mouthed ‘Sorry’ while both Pepper and Maria had slumped against the couch, relieved. Natasha quickly got everyone back on the topic of video games and with Clint helping by playfully starting an argument, they got everyone’s attention off of him.

Well, almost everyone. Steve was still giving him a concerned look, but Bucky took hold of his hand and squeezed it. “I’m fine. Just wasn’t expecting it. Especially since the glass was cold.” Bucky promised with a laugh. 

“If you’re sure.” Steve said and Bucky nodded. 

“Yeah, I’m sure. Now come on. You wanted to play. Better get your vote in on what game.” Bucky encouraged and Steve turned his attention to the screen, but didn’t let go of Bucky’s hand until Tony all but pulled him from his seat to get him playing along. 


End file.
